Delaying the Inevitable
by LIFE the RANGER
Summary: Percy has waited months, years even, to find The One. And he finally thinks he has, and he's dying to get his first kiss. But how long will Jason wait to give it to him? JACEY! Rated T for language and other stuff. Slight AU and OOC, nothing major.
1. Chapter 1

This is pre-HOO times. Slight OC, since in this one, Percy and Jason already know each other.

…

Percy's POV

…

Two days. That was how long I had left of summer at Camp Half-Blood. Any other year, I would've been bummed about the end of a rocking year slashing monsters to dust, avoiding Tyson's sticky peanut-butter hugs, and of course seeing Annabeth. Don't get me wrong, Annabeth was one of my best friends, but as for a romantic relationship, I just couldn't see the potential there. I didn't think it would last long. Besides, I wasn't interested in girls.

"Percy!" Grover tackled me into a bear hug (goat hug?). I laughed and shoved him off of me. "You seem extra happy today, and camp's ending soon. What's on your brain? Wait, scratch that. Who's on your mind?" Curse our empathy link. He could read my emotions like an open book.

"No one," I said, turning away. I was trying hard not to smile, but I failed when I thought of…well my new friend. I met him on a small quest over this summer. Not about the Titan War, but a different quest. "Fine," I said, since I still felt his imploring eyes on me. "It's a boy I met over the summer…" Before I could say anything further, Grover squealed (very unGrover-like) and squeezed my arms. "Ow," I said, swatting him away. "His name's Jason. He's the greatest guy I've ever met. He seems to be a lone demigod." Grover listened to my description of Jason. He clapped and danced a goat jig.

"Could he be the one?" he asked me. I winced. Grover knew of my little secret, but he didn't need to taunt me with what could be. I seriously hoped I'd see him over the summer. He'd told me to give him a call (Iris-message of course, using a cell phone was like sending up a flare) after I got out of camp. I couldn't wait. He also said he'd be in the New York area at the beginning of August, so I had high hopes of meeting up with him. "Well," Grover prompted, snapping me back to reality. "Could he? You've got a star-crossed lover look you get when you talk about blue cake." He laughed and ducked under my swinging fist. He ran out of my cabin before I could say anything.

…

The end came faster than I'd anticipated. I wanted the last couple of days to prepare what I'd say to Jason. Annabeth wished me good luck in the mortal world, and ran back to the Athena cabin. I watched her go, turned around, and stared at the city. My only thought right now was; _Jason, my Jason, is out there somewhere_. I walked for a bit until I had some privacy. I took out my squirt bottle (not the best reception, but better than nothing) and got a nice rainbow going. I threw a gold drachma into the rainbow.

"O Iris, accept my offering. Show me Jason Grace." An image shimmered into existence. Jason's face filled the screen. My heart did a little relay race in my chest when I saw him. "Jason!" I called out before I could stop myself. Jason looked startled for a second, but he eased a smile effortlessly onto his face when he saw it was me.

"Percy!" he exclaimed. "It's so good to see you. I must look a mess." It was true; he looked rather grimy. "I'm just outside Central Park. Come meet me?" I nodded before cutting off the connection. Central Park? That was the perfect place to start off our…could I call it a date? I didn't thing so. I hailed a cab, gave them the address Central Park went by, and sat back to enjoy the short ride. I'd only known Jason a couple of months but…I just had this feeling. He seemed like he could be the one.

"Here good?" From the look on the cabbie's face, it wasn't the first time he'd said it. Sheepishly, I nodded, paid him, and tumbled out. He peeled away. I slung my backpack over my shoulder and looked around. A wall of weight came out of nowhere and crushed me into a hug.

"Hi Percy." Jason's soft baritone of a voice whispered in my ear, causing me to shiver. "You cold?" he asked, pulling away and wearing a mask of real concern. I shook my head and snuggled in closer to him. He didn't say anything, just wrapped his arms tighter around me. It felt good. Finally, unfortunately, he pulled away and studied me. "You've gotten a little more muscle since I've last seen you," he commented. I looked at my arms, and was surprised to see he was right. I was glad for that though. I don't know why, but I felt like I should show off a little. He flexed a bit, and he chuckled softly. "Oh Percy," he said, shaking his head. "You don't need to show off. I love you the way you are. Oh…I…uh…" he stammered, turning about as red as the bench behind us. I tilted my head.

"What was that?" I asked, only half joking. Did he just say what I think he said? Did he just say he loved me? He shifted uncomfortably for a few seconds before sighing.

"Okay, I might as well confess," he said finally, taking my arms and forcing me to look into his eyes. "Ever since we meant, I can't get you out of my head. You're in my every waking thought, and today I couldn't wait to see you. I was so excited, I've been here since seven in the morning." My eyes widened. "Percy Jackson, be my boyfriend. Please?" My heart did tap dance routines. Was he kidding me?

"Of course I'll be your boyfriend," I said with a small. "I don't think anything could make me happier." That at least was the truth. Jason twirled me around, a goofy smile plastered on his face. He stopped and looked at me very seriously. I needed no empathy link to sense he wanted to kiss me. I wanted to kiss him too; bad. But something was holding us both back. He leaned down like he was going to; he even closed his eyes. But he stopped inches from my face. He looked me in the eyes, and something seemed to snap inside of him. He pushed me away so roughly I fell down hard on my bottom. I looked up at him in shock. "Jason, that…that hurt." His eyes started to water.

"Percy I…I…" He whirled around and shouldered his way passed a crowd of people.

"Jason!" I called, following him. He kept running blindly through the thongs of people. I kept following him, finally catching him and grabbing his arms. Before I blinked he had his sword pressed up against my throat. The fire extinguished as soon as he saw me. He sheathed his sword and pulled me aside. He cradled me until I stopped shaking.

"Juno's fist Percy don't sneak up on an experienced warrior," he said, half joking. "That could've turned ugly fast." Any trace of his earlier mood evaporated like rain on a hot sidewalk. "I don't want to skewer my new boyfriend five minutes after I got him." _Boyfriend_. That word sounded like golden honey. He rocked me gently as my shakes subsided. "Look Percy, I don't know why I did that. I would never want to hurt you. You've got to believe me; I _want_ to be your boyfriend. I've wanted to since we met over the summer…" He trailed off as he realized he'd made a big confession. He tried to backpedal. "I mean…I've thought about it…but I wasn't sure…you know what? I'm not pretending. Percy, I've wanted to be your boyfriend for two months, and now that I finally am, I'm never going to let anything happen to you." He leaned down, and I was sure this was it. I closed my eyes and waited. His lips hovered millimeters from mine. Instead he turned me around. "See you Percy," he said before slipping off into the crowd.

"But…" I said to no one in particular. "I wanted to kiss you…"

…

Hmmmmm. How many chapters will it take them to kiss? Stay turned if you really want to know.


	2. Chapter 2

_Jason's POV everyone! Does make a small reference to Jason/Piper. Sorry, it won't last long._

…

Jason's POV

…

I ran like hell, though I didn't want to. I knew if I stood there a second longer I'd give into the temptation and actually kiss the big oaf (it's an affectionate nickname, I don't say it to be mean). But to hell with kissing my brown haired boyfriend, I had much bigger problems on my brain. Such as what the fuck will I tell Piper, who thought we were dating. Which was a big, fat lie. I don't know why I kept leading her on, I just did, which made me as bad a Kronos (to you Greek geeks) I know. But what was I suppose to tell her? Sorry, I like guys' parts? Yeah that would bode well.

"Why does this shit need to be so hard," I thought out loud. "Just this morning I was excited to meet him, and now all I want to do is throw up and run away." Of course, no one responded. Homeless kid wandering around talking to himself? People clearly saw this as normal. Man did I love this city. You could carry around a gleaming gold sword, battle monsters around every corner, and basically do whatever the hell you wanted, and people wouldn't even bat an eyelash. Not to mention the fact that I talked to myself quite often. "Gods Pipes I miss you like crazy," I said to the picture of her I kept in my pocket. "You're my only true friend at this point." Another lie. I did have one more friend, a big guy by the name of Leo. Who knew where he ended up.

"There you are." I whirled around and found none other than Percy behind me. This kid sure knew his way around. "You took off so fast I thought I'd never find you. But here you are, just outside my apartment building." I cursed silently. Of all the places to end up in a city as big as this, I end up here. "Come on," he said, taking my hand. "Come meet my mom and my stepdad." He led me up flights of stairs and let himself into the apartment. "Mom, I'm home. And I have a special guest!" A woman emerged from the back room, and her face lit up when she saw Percy, and I'm assuming me as well.

"Why hello there," she said, extending her hand. "I'm Sally. You must be Jason. Percy's mentioned you so many times." Percy blushed right down to his hands. I unsuccessfully tried to smother my laughter.

"Oh he has, has he?" I asked mildly, squeezing his hand gently. He smiled at me and hesitantly looked at my cheek. I had a feeling I knew what he wanted, but instead of letting him do it, I looked around. I saw the momentary flash of hurt in his eyes, but he quickly replaced it before his mother sensed something was up. Truthfully, I think she put two and two together and actually got four, unlike some people. "What I lovely apartment," I commented, keeping my voice light when all I wanted to do was scream at Percy. How dare he do this to me? He drove my body absolutely nuts. My mental state was no better. It seemed no matter what I tried to think about, all I could think about was him. Curse his cuteness.

"Mom and I have lived here my whole life," he said, snapping me back to my current situation. I twisted and looked at the clock. I had to meet Piper soon, back at central park. Getting away from Percy was going to be a challenge. Did I even want to get away from him? Hell no. I was content with staying there, but I did promise her I'd meet up with her later.

"Hey I gotta run," I said, turning to Percy. "I'll come back later, kay? We can hang out and stuff." He tilted his head up, and every fiber in my being wanted nothing more than to brush my lips tenderly across his. But I pulled all the self-control I could from my body and pulled away. Instead I gave him what seemed like an awkward hug, when we both knew better. This time he didn't try to mask the hurt in his eyes. It was as obvious as a twenty-foot billboard directly in front of my face. "I'm so sorry," I whispered in his ear as I pulled away. "You have to believe me on this, I am so sorry." Before either of us could say anything, I made a mad dash for the door, threw it open, and ran back out into the street.

…

Waiting for Piper to show up was like waiting for a snail to climb up the empire state building. Which amounted to…

So. Fucking. Slow.

But no matter. I had a feeling Percy wouldn't follow me this time (although I'd been half hoping I was wrong and he would) but he didn't. Maybe he sensed my sudden mood swing. Maybe he just saw it in my eyes. But either way, I saw no glimpse of him. Perhaps that was a good thing. I didn't want him to witness mine and Piper's exchange. I had a feeling it would crush his spirit, and since he had such a lively one, I didn't want to do that to him.

"Jason!" I turned to look over my shoulder as Piper made her way to me. I took a deep breath. What I was about to do wasn't going to be easy, but it had to be done. I was in a committed relationship now; it was time to end Piper's fantasy once and for all. She gave me a smile that glittered like imperial gold. Shit, this was going to be harder than I thought.

"Uh, hey Pipes," I said slowly, tasting each word before finally releasing it. "We need to talk." Opening with that was never good, but I wanted this over and done with as soon as possible. "I'm sorry Pipes, but the whole time you thought we were dating we never were." I was rushing now; call me cruel but I didn't want to beat around the bush. Why was this so fucking hard? "I never liked you in a romantic sort of way. But I'm currently in a relationship I'm happy with." Add liar to my list of undesirable traits. "I would love to remain your friend," I finally added. She pursed her lips and looked at me thoughtfully. That piercing look was scarier than Medusa's; give me the gorgon any day.

"Never liked me that way huh," she finally whispered. "I see. Just lead a girl on for months and finally tell her that you're dumping her but want to remain friends." When she put it that was I sounded worse than Hades, and that big, ugly dude was downright nasty. I should know, I've been in front of Big Ugly's face. "Great Jason. I understand. What. A. Fucking. Player. You. Are." Each word was a lash of a whip, causing stinging scars all over my body. But I kept my lips shut. If this was how it was going to go down, so be it. I needed to "break up" with Piper so I wouldn't have a guilty conscious, even if I preferred guys to girls. "Bye Jason." She said it so soft I almost didn't hear. She then whirled around, held her head high, and marched off into the crowds flooding central park.

…

I let myself into Percy's apartment, though I had no idea if I was welcome. I'm guessing so since the door was unlocked. I found Percy crashed and burned on the couch. It was well after one in the morning (what, you think I came straight here after my "break up" with Piper?) and he must have been trying to wait for me to get back. He looked so peaceful, I almost regretted coming back in. Almost. I approached him slowly, wincing as the floorboards creaked under my weight. I froze as he mumbled in his sleep, half sat up, and opened his eyes.

"Jason?" he croaked. "It's late. Stay here for the night. Come lay with me." The tone of his voice left no room for argument, and why would I want to? I sat down next to him, and he sat up fully. He then laid his head in my lap. I gently ran my fingers though his hair, and he sighed happily. I smiled down at him. This would be the perfect time (cue violins and other romantic instruments) to lean down and kiss him. I could read it in his expression; he wanted me to kiss him. But I couldn't grow a set of balls to do so.

"Go to sleep Percy," I crooned softly. "It's late….er early, and you should be sleeping right now." As I talked, I threw a blanket over him and tucked it around him. He yawned in response and closed his eyes. I watched him drift off into light sleep. I wanted so bad to kiss him goodnight, I could feel it with my whole being. But I held back. I can't explain why, but I did.

So. Fucking. Hard.

…

_Hey everybody. I know Jason's a little…calmer than this, but I wanted to show his inner struggle, and come on, everyone swears at some point or another. If you at all feel the rating should be changed because of the swearing, let me know. I'll oblige. _


	3. Chapter 3

_Hey Fanficers (is that a word?). Okay, so I know I suck at updating. But I'm gonna try and make it up to you and update EVERYTHING I've written that's not a one-shot. Hope this makes y'all happy!_

…

Percy's POV

…

I awoke with a sense of Euphoria. I hoped that I hadn't just imagined laying my head in Jason's lap and falling asleep, my head only inches from…well you get the idea. Sending a quick prayer to whichever god would listen to me right now (I don't know if being gay is a bad thing or not, but I try not to make a habit of pissing off the gods), and turned my head slightly. To my immense relief, it wasn't just some dream I'd had in my half-sleep state. Jason's head was lolled back and his mouth was slightly open. He'd tucked the only blanket we had around me, so he was left to face the semi-cold of our air-conditioned apartment.

"Jason," I mumbled. Debating the best way to wake him up, I decided on kissing him awake. I sat up and began leaning in. Just inches from his face, he cracked open one eye, then sprang up and backed away.

"Morning sleepy head," he said with a smile. "You were so tired when I arrived you didn't fight when I said to go back to bed." I smiled at him even though I wanted to bawl. He really didn't want to kiss me? I know we'd only been dating a day, but I wanted to kiss him so bad, and I had a feeling he wanted to kiss me too.

"Jason," I said again, the hurt obvious in my voice. That wiped the smile off his face as he circled his arms around me, pulling me close. "Jason, please be honest with me. I only want an honest answer." I felt him nod on the top of my head. "Why won't you kiss me?" There, I said it. Now all I had to do was wait for his answer. Abruptly, he shoved me away. I kept my balance this time, but I was still startled nonetheless.

"Percy, please don't make me answer that," he pleaded. "I…I can't explain why. I mean, I want to kiss you, but…" He trailed off, leaving me more hurt than ever. He wanted to kiss me, yet he didn't? Who the fuck thinks like that? Who dares mislead an eager boy who'd never had a boyfriend before!

"Jason," I said, the hurt being replaced by anger. "Maybe you should just leave." I stalked to the other side of my living room, arms crossed and facing away from him. I heard the sound of pounding feet, then the sound of a slamming door. It was for the best anyway.

…

Jason's POV

…

"Jupiter's fucking fist Percy!" I screamed when I finally stopped running. I had no idea where I was (this neighborhood did not look like any other neighborhood I'd seen), but I didn't care. "Why is this so fucking hard Percy?" I sank to my knees and doubled over, finally letting the tears fall. They soaked the front of my shirt, but that was the least of my problems right now. "I want to kiss you, you big oaf! Can't you tell? Can't you tell how insane you make me?" Have I mentioned I love this city? Not one single person even looked at my funny, if any happened to pass by at all.

"I bet I could tell," a voice behind me commented, making me jump. Leo never stuck me as a sneaky guy, but man can he be fucking sneaky when he needed to be. He gave me a smirk and jumped down off the landing he was on. I took a swing at him, simply because I could, but he ducked and grabbed my wrist. "Venus's hair dude, calm the fuck down. It's just me, fun old Leo Valdez." He smiled as he released my wrist. While I was still fuming, I took a couple deep breaths and managed to get my reluctant racing heart back to normal.

"Leo, as I told Percy yesterday, don't sneak up behind an experienced warrior. In the time you could blink, I could've had my sword on your throat ready to slit you like a turkey." Leo grabbed his throat in mock horror.

"No please," he cried around a laugh. "Not my beautiful throat. Without it, how can I woo the ladies?" Even I had to smile at that. Even if I was being serious.

"You better have a damn good reason to be sneaking around like that," I said, back to the previous topic. "Is Pipes still mad at me?" He winced and reached down to protect himself.

"Mad doesn't begin to cover it," he whimpered. "But, eventually, she'll get over it. So who's Percy?" Damn it! He caught that!

"My soul mate," I replied, only half joking. "Leo, you've known forever I swing for the same team. So this shouldn't surprise you." Leo nodded his agreement.

"It doesn't," he said matter-of-factly. "What surprises me is the Great Jason Grace saying he may have found a soul mate. Dude, you've swung for the same team so many times, you're MVP. With you it's a fling here, a fling there, maybe a week or two of phony commitment there." I felt my spirit slowly drop to my feet.

"I know Leo," I said, cutting him off. "But with Percy it's different. We only met once before, on a minor quest, for about five minutes. But Jupiter above Leo, for months I haven't been able to get him out of my head. He gives me a hard on just looking at him." With Leo I actually felt comfortable saying that. Leo was like that; he didn't ask questions if you didn't want to elaborate on your own. He nodded like he understood, and waited for me to keep talking. "I want this to last for more than a week or two. And gods Leo, I want to kiss those pouty lips so bad I can taste it."

"Then why don't you?" he asked me, catching me off guard. "Look, you clearly have deep feelings for this Percy guy. I can't say I approve, but all the same, give into temptation just once in your short, miserable life and kiss him!" I've never seen him this worked up before. "Jason, what if…what if I help you practice kissing him?" My eyes widened.

"Leo, I couldn't make you do th…" I began.

"You'll never grow the balls to do it yourself," he replied flatly. "I know for a fact you've never had a passionate kiss with a guy before. What if I helped you practice that? If you practice beforehand, maybe you'll get the courage to do it for real."

"Gods Leo, I don't know what to say," I said, rubbing the back of my head. "Well, okay, I guess." He pulled me into a side alley way. I gulped. This should prove interesting.

…

"Wow, just…wow," Leo said as he flopped back onto the stained mattress we found leaned against a dumpster full of rotting fish. "Dude, you could make the straightest guy bend to your will, couldn't you?" I smiled a tiny bit and shrugged.

"Not really," I said. "It's just a matter of finding the hidden gay in every guy. Some people, like Percy, know and make it easier. Others, like you, don't know and if you hang with me long enough you become aware of it." Leo smiled and propped himself on his elbow.

"I deem you ready for your first kiss with Percy!" he exclaimed, collapsing into giggles.

…

Percy's POV

…

I don't know how long I cried for. All I know is, when I finally lifted my head off of my pillow, my throat was on fire and my eyes stung like I'd rubbed salt into them. Jason didn't even know how hurt I was by all of this. I'd recently discovered my preferences, and then I met him. So I'd never, ever had a boyfriend before. And I was excited to finally have one. But then that…that…jerk had to ruin it by refusing to kiss me, refusing to explain why, then actually leave when I said, even though I'd wanted him to stay. A small knock at my door brought my attention back to the present.

"Percy," my mom called softly. "I made taco meat that we can have with either blue hard-shell taco shells or blue tortilla chips." I smiled a bit but didn't move. Mom had a thing for blue food. And while my stomach groaned in protest, and didn't want to face her or Paul. I just wanted to sleep or bawl or lay there doing nothing. "Okay, food is ready when you are." I heard her footsteps retreat to the kitchen. I sighed and rolled onto my side.

"Miss you baby," I said softly to the air, images of Jason flashing through my mind. "Miss you like Aphrodite would miss her mirror." I laughed out loud at my own joke. I loved to do that. The crazy thing was, Aphrodite would miss her mirror, if she ever looked away from it. I rolled over to look out my tiny window. The stars were out already (always a sight to see in the city that never turned out their lights) and I could see them faintly twinkling. They seemed to be feeling the opposite I was at this point. At least they had hope.

…

_I didn't necessarily want to drag this chapter out. Maybe next chapter they will finally kiss and this story will be over….or maybe not. I know I'm evil. If you want to know, guess you'll have to wait. _


	4. Chapter 4

_Hey everybody! Were you just as excited about the Sea of Monsters movie as I was? I was bouncing off the walls come August 7. I was dying to see it the night it premiered, but alas no theatre near me was doing one, so I settled on seeing it at two ten that day. Gonna see it again!_

_Anywho, I know I haven't written for this one in a looooong time, especially since I started my first ever Percabeth (titled Never Again if you're interested in checking it out). It felt about time to update some Jacey! (why is Percy submissive? I get Jason is a little more outgoing than he is but still…)_

…

Jason's POV

…

I was a nervous wreck by the time I got back to Percy's apartment. My meeting with Leo really hit home on the fact I was not being that loyal boyfriend everyone would expect me to be. Piper would claim I'm all sweet and innocent and down-to-earth and all that sappy bullshit females feed you when they have nothing else to think of. Leo would dub me as a ladies man (though not now) and would say I was "experimenting" and not quite ready to settle down. He was closer to the truth. Which was…I was scared to death. Percy, well, he was the first boy I dated, let alone thought about a steady relationship with. He drove me crazy with his shy smile and sea green eyes and dazzling hotness. Oh god, I was turning into Piper!

"You can do this," I said to myself, not quite believing it. My hands were shaking, my heart was racing, my breath was coming in ragged, shallow gasps, and sweat was pouring into my eyes and blurring my vision. In short, I was nervous. Definitely. Nervous. I'm not sure what it was about this kid, but he brought me to my knees. Maybe that was a good thing. My legs moved me on their own accord and I soon found myself in front of his apartment door. Acting robotically, I reached up and gently rapped on the door. The turning of locks could be heard and there before me stood Percy, dressed in a white tank top and blue boxers, apparently not caring his mother and stepfather were just behind him, shooting us curious looks. His eyes narrowed, sizing me up. Not good, not good at all.

"What do you want?" he asked, his voice guarded and cold. Gods, I was going to die if he kept this up.

"Percy, can I explain myself?" I pleaded. His gaze traveled up and down my body, taking in my disarray hair, rumpled clothes, and the stench of the alley. Heaving a great sigh, he opened the door the rest of the way and I slipped gratefully past him. "By the way, you look cute," I added. His mother smothered her laughter, and Percy automatically looked down to study himself. A little of the old him slipped back into place as he turned a light shade of pink and made his way down the hall to his room.

"I'm glad you came back, dear," his mother said to me. "He was so upset when you left." My heart instantly plummeted. He thought I actually left him for good? That would explain his cold behavior towards me.

"Miss Jackson," I began, not exactly sure how I was going to go about this. "The only reason I left is because he _told_ me to. If I had any idea how much pain it caused him, I would've stayed rooted to the spot. But the only reason he sent me away was because…" Percy came back then, black shorts now in place, but white tank top remaining. He looked so goddam cute it was all I could do not to run to him, gather him in my arms, and beg forgiveness while simultaneously kissing every inch of available skin. But I held back, mostly for the sake of his parents, but partly because he was still giving me a cold look.

"You'd better make this quick, Jason," he said, crossing his arms. "And you'd better have a damn good excuse for actually leaving when I told you to. When someone says that, they don't mean it, you know." I sighed, and finally gave in a little, and brought him into my arms. He struggled a bit, but I held him tight and he finally stopped struggling, relaxing into my arms. I sat down on the couch and propped him against me, so he was sitting on my lap. He looked up at me, gaze still hard but now willing to listen to me.

"I'm deeply sorry I left Percy. I don't think I could ever say sorry enough for that, but what I'm not sorry for is having some time to think. And well, Percy, I'm scared to death. That's why I've been holding back on kissing you." I was well aware of his mom and his stepdad watching our every move. At this point, I didn't care if they overheard or not. I needed to say what I was saying, more than needed it even. "You're the first boy…person…that I've ever thought of having a lasting relationship with. Just the thought of it makes me scared. I've never had a relationship that lasted more than a few days, or heck, even a week. And truth be told, I've never kissed another guy before." I winced at that, remembering my little escapade with Leo not that long ago. On that happy note, I probably still smelled like that dumpster.

"Oh," was all Percy could manage. His eyes narrowed in a thoughtful way, calculating how accurate my story really was. Finally, he smiled, and I mean really smiled, at me. "Well, alright then Jason. But why didn't you just tell me that's why you've been so distant and hesitant?" Good question. One I was now asking myself. "I would've understood. I've never kissed anybody, ever, so…" He trailed off, looking a little troubled.

"Well," I replied, cupping his chin in my hands. "Let's fix that." I moved in closer, and his green eyes widened. I smiled at his reaction. I leaned in, our lips were millimeters apart, and I could feel his heart racing… Just before our lips met, he shoved my face away and leapt from my lap, shooting his parents a look. "Percy?" I asked in a small voice. And I thought I was being disloyal. He wasn't helping the situation any right now.

"I…I panicked," he said, taking a shaky breath. "I don't really want…" He motioned to his parents pretending not to watch at the table. "Them to see my first kiss. Come to bed with me?" I balked. I turned to his mom, and she nodded her consent. I followed behind Percy in a daze. His room was small yet cozy looking. He shed his shorts and climbed into his bed, lazily stretching his arms over his head. "Climb in with me?" he asked around a yawn. Then it hit me; it was late. I was keeping him up. I climbed into his bed and wrapped my arms around him, pulling his close. He yawned again and rested his head on my chest. His breathing even out and in no time he was fast asleep. I smiled and fell asleep with him, content to stay that way for a long time.

…

"Good morning Jason," Percy whispered the next morning. My eyelids fluttered open to reveal his face just inches from mine. When my eyes opened he jerked back and sat down hard on his side of the bed. He gave me a sheepish smile. "Sorry, you startled me," he said. I smiled and brushed my fingers across his cheek.

"It's okay," I replied, stifling a yawn and rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. "Percy, I think we have some unfinished business," I said. He looked at me questioningly. Without another word, I pulled him down and crashed my lips to his.

…

Yay they did it! That means one more chapter for closure purposes. It took them four chapters and some serious deep thinking to do it. I'm happy for them.


	5. Chapter 5

Alright guys, last chapter for this story. Which I am happy about because that means this is my first completed multi-chapter story. Not bad huh? Well, enjoy the last chapter of Delaying the Inevitable.

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Percy's POV

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He finally kissed me! He finally did it! Those were the thoughts swirling around in my subconscious as Jason crashed his lips to mine unceremoniously. It was a little hard, and a little sloppy, but I was filled with the revelation by the fact it was our first, and didn't care exactly how the form was. I returned the kiss eagerly, parting my lips slightly. It was more of a habit, really. Jason's tongue dove its way into my mouth, more than surprising us both. We pulled apart abruptly, each panting and grinning like someone who won the biggest pizza (I shouldn't think on an empty stomach).

"Wow Percy," he said, plopping down onto his rear in a daze. I was stunned myself. So stunned, in fact, I didn't realize I was still in my pajamas. "As much as I like seeing you in next to nothing, I don't think your mother would approve of us staying with you like that for an extended period of conscious time." I finally looked down and saw myself in a white tank and blue boxers. Gods, I was really tired last night (or early this morning) if I just shed the shorts I was wearing to climb into bed. I scrambled off the bed and rushed around the room. I slipped a Maroon 5 shirt on (don't ever dis them, they rock, and Adam Levine was smoking), and faded jeans. I slipped on my slippers in favor of shoes. We were just going to be spending some time in my room.

"Boys," my mom called. Good, I got dressed just in time. "Are you both up?" She poked her head in and noticed me standing by my dresser and Jason sitting on my bed, smirking. She just shrugged. Did I ever say my mom rocked? Oh. Well she does. A lot.

"We are mom," I answered, shooting Jason dagger eyes. His smirk grew as he eyed my mom critically. The thing about Jason; he was impossible to shake (although apparently my very person rocked his world enough for a lifetime), and he was trying to send her a silent signal. We finally did it! We finally did the thing that will drive our relationship forward. But the thing was, I wasn't ready to tell her quite yet. "We'll be out for breakfast in a moment." She seemed satisfied with that and left.

"What the hell Percy?" Jason hissed, and I winced at the sudden venom. "Why didn't you tell her? She is fucking happy for you and you don't even let her know just how happy you are?" Without responding, I dug one extra shirt (just a plain black one) and jean shorts out of my drawer and thrust them at him. His eyes smoldering, he changed quickly, studying himself in my floor length mirror. He shrugged and raked a hand through his hair in an attempt to brush it. I retrieved my comb and ran it through my hair quickly. We both stared at each other for a couple of seconds. The fire in eyes died a little as a smile tugged on his lips, while I'm sure I mirrored him. A silent conversation passed between us and he twined our fingers together. He gave a gentle squeeze and we both emerged, hand in hand. Mom caught sight of us, and her face lit up like Olympus on Christmas.

"Oh, look at my handsome boys!" she gushed. Jason looked a little taken aback by her including him like a son, but he had to know; he dated me, he became our family instantly. "So cute together!" she gushed, setting two plates loaded with bacon, eggs, toast, and all other sorts of breakfast goodies. Then she noticed our hands, and did a very un-momlike thing; she squealed. "Paul, get the camera! I need pictures!" She flittered to the next room like a busy mama bird. I chuckled, and Jason looked a little conflicted.

"Don't worry," I whispered, kissing his cheek. "She just wants some pictures for safekeeping. You are the first boy I've ever brought home after all." He smiled at that and leaned in and nuzzled my neck. I twisted away and grinned. It felt good.

"I don't care what she does," he whispered. "As long as it's with you. I'd gladly dive off a cliff as long as you're by my side." I smiled. Jason could be so mushy when he wanted to be. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled my close, and we stayed that way for the longest time.

"That's it boys!" mom called as she emerged from the living room, camera in hand. "Hold that pose!"

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Jason stayed the entire day, basically getting to know my mom in a very personal and funny way (he claimed with over dramatics he was scarred for life), eating family dinner with us, and getting some much needed cuddle time with me. Around two, I feigned tiredness and Jason quietly excused us and led me to my room, where he proceeded to wrap us both with my comforter and pull me close to him. Somewhere along the way I dozed off (Jason said it was because of my late night) and I awoke to him toying with my hair and humming to himself. It was so cute, I hated to ruin it. I reached up and touched his cheek gently, and he smiled and kissed my fingertips.

"This is nice," he said as he studied my family. "I've never had a stable family. You guys are so welcoming and friendly." My mom beamed at him and invited him over for another night (or however long he wished to keep his cute little ass in my bed, her words, not mine). Even Paul smiled and joked with him. I'm so glad they all get along. Truth be told, I was worried about bringing him home for the first time. But like my coming out of the closet moment, they welcomed it with open arms, as if he was always a part of our small, secluded family.

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Jason's POV

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Percy's family was a blast. Rather than fight monsters on the streets of some city I'd never visit again, I tackled a different kind of beast. I had dinner with them. His mom brought out all the blue plate specials (and I mean literal blue), with blue chicken (don't ask), blue rice, blue beans (green beans dyed blue), and for dessert…yep, blue velvet cake with blue frosting. I was turning into a smurf faster ever second just by looking at it. But it surprised me by tasting good. It was about ten now, and we were sitting around, eating blue chocolate chip cookies and talking. Percy had his head on my lap, and he was struggling to stay awake.

"You tired Perce?" I asked. He nodded sleepily and rubbed his eyes. I helped him to his feet. "Night Miss Jackson, Mr. Blofis." I led Percy to his room and helped him lay in his bed. He kicked his jeans off and stretched lazily.

"My mom and Paul like you," he mumbled as I settled beside him. I smiled at that. They sure did. They were a nice family. "Good, I'm glad they do," he continued, stifling a yawn. I wrapped my arms around him and covered us both with our (his) comforter. "I'm glad you're part of my family now…" He trailed off as the warm folds of sleep claimed him for the night. I snuggled down and rested his head on my chest. For the first time in a long time, I felt like I belonged.

…

"Good morning sleepyhead," I whispered to Percy the next morning. I aroused around half an hour ago, but Percy looked so cute and innocent curled up on his side next to me, I had no heart to wake him up then. Now he had to. It was already nine, and we had breakfast to get to before I had to leave (which unfortunately I did). Percy grumbled and rolled over. "C'mon Percy," I whispered in his ear, tickling his side and kissing his cheek at the same time. He giggled and finally turned to look at me. He cracked one eye open lazily and smiled, wrapping his arms around my neck and pulling me close, giving me another kiss. It started off slow, hesitant, but quickly became heated and deep. Percy opened his mouth again (man did I love that) and my tongue wasted no time in evading. He seemed surprised, but this time, neither of us pulled back. I explored his mouth, and tasting him was a different experience all together.

"Geez Jason," he said as he shoved me away playfully, laughing. "You act like that's our last kiss." His smile faded as he studied me. "It isn't, right?" His lower lip trembled, and I was quick to pull him close to me.

"No, no baby," I said, smoothing down his hair. "It isn't. I just…have to go away for a while. I will be back; I promise." He looked up at me with wide eyes, and I silently cursed. Jupiter's fist this was fucking hard. I couldn't stand that puppy pout of his. I didn't want to dwell on it though. I had to head out soon. We made our way to the kitchen together, hand in hand once again. We both declined a big breakfast in favor of cereal, so we could sit close together, fingers twined and legs touching. Once I was done, I thanked Paul and his mom and kissed Percy once, short and sweet. He had tears in his eyes as I let myself out the front door.

Let me give you a little piece of advice. I knew the inevitable, which would be our kiss. I wanted to delay it for two reason. One was I was scared (as was mentioned earlier). The other…well, I wanted to savor the moment when it happened. When you're like me, you have to keep moving, or they catch up to you. Where was I? Oh yeah, advice.

Never delay what you know is inevitable, or it could just about break your heart.

With that being said, I hailed a cab, told it a random address away from New York, and watched as the skyline faded behind me. The whole way out, I never looked back.

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Aww, kind of a sad ending, don't you think? Well, that wraps things up. Sorry it was only five chapters, but I didn't want it to drag on too terribly long….or be just two chapters. So…yeah.


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